Our holdings include hundreds of glass and film negatives/transparencies that we've scanned ourselves; in addition, many other photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs) in the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) They are adjusted, restored and reworked by your webmaster in accordance with his aesthetic sensibilities before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here. All of these images (including "derivative works") are protected by copyright laws of the United States and other jurisdictions and may not be sold, reproduced or otherwise used for commercial purposes without permission.

"The Saloon"? "Connecticut Yankee"? Well... maybe... but I'd like to think it's a little less mundane than those.... That it's "Nick's Pacific Street Saloon, Restaurant and Entertainment Palace", and that's Joe and Tom dancing and Lucy Duval sitting at the table. ("Nick's" was really Izzy Gomez's Cafe; I couldn't quickly find a decent picture of it on the web.)

In the 20's and 30's there was a "mural movement" in San Francisco inspired by the expansive Mexican murals of the time. There are still a number in the Mission district, but it was (and is) certainly not limited by any boundaries in the city.

This mural looks like it might have been an offshoot of that - maybe an artist paying for their food and drink with a little brush work. It would have been common in those days.

In any case, I haven't seen any mention of it - but unless it was done by an artist who was later famous, it is unlikely we would. There are plenty of famous murals in San Francisco bars and environs though! Rivera's famous works, a mural-sized painting by Maxfield Parish are just two I can think of off hand.

That no one has mentioned the two pictures in back of the clock. They appear to have price tags on them. Also, I think this was taken during the Christmas Season. Because the hanging 7-Up sign is decorated with Yule Bells.

The clock is not the only concession to the Arts and Crafts movement's influence. look at those wonderful light fixtures (slag glass in a metal silhouette frames) hanging from chain above the happy couple. Judging by the amount of stuff on the floor, I'll bet this place had great food.

Look, over there in the corner by herself. The young lady with the come hither look flashing a smile at you two. She'd make a better dancing partner and you wouldn't have to argue with her about who leads.

If that Craftsman style clock over the restroom door is correct, it's 5:06 p.m. The date of the photo, the 15 cent "sandwitches" and the ambiance of the establishment somehow all combined to remind me of a favorite George Price cartoon caption: "It's Ham Hocks Tuesday -- a day that will live in infamy."

I'm intrigued by the mural, top left of this picture. It looks like a nice example of primitive or vernacular painting. It's a long shot, but can anyone out there shed any light on this mural, such as who painted it, when and why? Any chance it is still to be seen somewhere in SF?

Those were the days, all right. Fond memories of times of yore. Rubbing out a cigarette but on a barroom floor. Mission-style clocks. Vintage Coca-Cola signs. My tattooed uncle picking up a lithe young man and letting him lead on the dance floor. Ah, but for the days of my youth.

Shorpy.com | History in HD is a vintage photo archive featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1960s. (Available as fine-art prints from the Shorpy Archive.) The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago.